


The Chase

by Small_Hobbit



Series: River Police [1]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-02
Updated: 2014-09-02
Packaged: 2018-02-15 22:18:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2245359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Small_Hobbit/pseuds/Small_Hobbit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The morning, which John Watson had begun well, has gone rapidly downhill and results in a chase down the River Thames.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Chase

**Author's Note:**

> This is a gift for rose_of_pollux who successfully completed the July Writing Prompts on Watson's Woes on LJ.
> 
> My thanks to my stalward beta scfrankles.

John Watson would be the first to admit that the day wasn’t going quite as he had hoped. He had successfully ignored Sherlock when he’d tried to persuade him to get out of bed at a ridiculous time in the morning. He had even managed to have a cup of tea and half a slice of toast before Sherlock had reappeared from his early morning jaunt and demanded that John accompany him. Even more pleasing was that John had had the presence of mind to take the other slice and a half of toast with him, and managed not to get jam everywhere.

Sherlock had hailed a taxi immediately they were on the pavement and they were soon threading their way through the traffic to Westminster Bridge. Once there Sherlock headed towards the pier, stopping to speak to a couple who John presumed belonged to the homeless network.

“We’re too late, he’s gone!” Sherlock said. He turned and started walking quickly along the Victoria Embankment. “Come along, John!”

John followed in Sherlock’s footsteps. It was rather like being in the bow wave of a naval destroyer, Sherlock clearing the path ahead as tourists hastened to move out of his way, with John in the clear water before they moved back into the path. He was aware that despite Sherlock’s rapid walk his friend was scanning the river, although John had no idea what for.

As they went underneath the Hungerford Bridge Sherlock paused to speak to another of his network and then turned back to John.

“He’s not been seen on this side of the river, so either he’s crossed the river to the South Bank or he’s continued down river. That’s unlikely. He has to meet the others very soon.”

“Couldn’t he have gone up river? And who is he, anyway?”

“Really, John, that is a ridiculous suggestion. And if you’d bothered to get up this morning when I told you to, you’d know all about him. I haven’t got time to explain now. You get down to the pier here and keep an eye out, while I go over to the Festival Pier and see what I can find out there.”

Since there seemed no alternative John made his way as far towards the pier as he could. There didn’t seem to be anything out of the ordinary happening, although he wasn’t sure what he should be looking for. After a few minutes he was approached by a man wearing the uniform of the Thames Clippers.

“Mr Holmes has asked us to take you over to him,” the man said.

“He told me to wait here,” John answered.

“I think you should come with us,” the man added.

John felt what he presumed was a gun in the small of his back. “It appears that I have no choice.”

He was ushered into a boat, which set off down river. John felt grateful that at least he was heading in the direction Sherlock was expecting, even if, once again, his day wasn’t going quite as well as he had hoped. The phone in his pocket began to ring. He was trying to reach it when his captor said “I’ll take that.” Reluctantly John took the phone out, with the intention of handing it over, but he didn’t get that far.

***

When John came round he found he was alone in the boat. He had been tied up and gagged and the boat was covered by a tarpaulin so he couldn’t be seen. He could hear people walking around and from the general chatter he realised the boat had been moored somewhere public, which would be good if he could undo the gag and call out. He was starting to free one of his hands when he saw that the tarpaulin was moving, so he lay still.

There was a brief glimpse of sunlight before the tarpaulin was back in place and whoever had slipped underneath it was close to him. Then a voice was muttering in his ear “I intended that you watch what was happening, not join them on their journey.” Sherlock cut the ties and the two of them slid out the way Sherlock had come in.

John blinked in the sunlight and began to rub his wrists, but Sherlock pulled him towards one of the cafés. Once seated, he ordered two espressos. John muttered that he would have preferred tea.

“They’re not for drinking, but if we want to sit here and watch for your captors to return, we need to have cups on the table.”

They didn’t have long to wait. John’s three captors returned to the boat and removed the tarpaulin. John and Sherlock weren’t close enough to hear what was being said, but the gestures and body language were sufficient to show the anger at John’s disappearance. The three jumped in the boat and started the engine, revving it loudly and earning themselves disapproving looks from those in the neighbouring boats.

“What now?” John asked.

“We follow them, of course,” Sherlock replied.

“How?” John said. He hadn’t fully recovered from being hit on the head and the half-drunk cup of coffee had done nothing for his mood. “Bicycle, roller skates, Segway?”

“You are becoming ridiculous. Lestrade will be meeting us with a police boat.”

“Won’t that be rather obvious?”

“It’s an unmarked boat.”

“Like the unmarked police cars?”

“Sometimes, John, your perspicacity astounds me. Look! There’s Lestrade.”

Sherlock strode over to the boat, John following behind. As soon as they were on board the boat cast off. The inspector in charge passed life jackets to Sherlock and John. Sherlock protested that he wasn’t going to wear his, and there was a brief argument in which the inspector threatened to order the engine be cut and Sherlock looked as if he would call his bluff. In the end the inspector’s steely expression convinced Sherlock that he was not joking and Sherlock put the life jacket on, with his coat on top.

Lestrade grinned as he sat next to John in the stern. “Meet Inspector Stanley Hopkins. Not a man to be trifled with.” Turning to John he added “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, bit of a headache, but I’ll live. I could do with something to drink though.”

Lestrade rummaged round under the seat and found a bottle of water, which he passed over.

Meanwhile Sherlock and Hopkins were discussing the likely destination of the boat they were following. Sherlock’s initial thought had been that the men would dock briefly to pick up the rest of the gang, plus their cargo. They would be aware, given John’s departure, that they would be followed and so wouldn’t want to lose any more time than absolutely necessary. Hopkins’ idea was that instead the three would transfer to a larger vessel, which would depart as soon as they were on board, the cargo already having been stowed. This would give them the ability to head straight for The Channel rather than have to stop again at the coast. Both, however, agreed on the likely changeover point.

As they approached the wharf it was evident that Sherlock and Hopkins had been correct, for the boat had clearly just moored up. What was equally evident was that the rest of the gang weren’t there.

Hopkins immediately used the radio to request a stop and search of a vessel he had spotted ahead of them. As soon as they had docked, the two officers on the boat leapt on shore, followed closely by Sherlock. Two of the men from the other boat seemed resigned to their fate, whilst the third decided to make a run for it. Hopkins ordered his men in pursuit, whilst he and Lestrade processed the other two.

Sherlock was clearly frustrated and wanted Hopkins to cast off immediately and head back onto the river. Hopkins refused, pointing out that if their suspects were in the boat he thought they were in, it was considerably faster than theirs, so they would have no chance of catching it. He then returned to dealing with his three prisoners (the last one having been captured) and their boat, apparently oblivious to Sherlock’s irritation.

The police coxswain, who had remained on the boat, called out to Hopkins, saying he was wanted on the radio. Hopkins had a brief conversation and then turned to the others, smiling.

“Success,” he said. “The vessel has been apprehended and all on board arrested.”

John grinned and then gave a sigh as the adrenaline suddenly left and he felt weak at the knees.

Lestrade helped him to a seat. “You could do with some food,” he said.

“There’s a café on the main road, just behind those buildings, which does an excellent all day breakfast,” Hopkins said. “If you wanted to go there, Greg, we’ll get this lot back and start processing them and you three can join us later.”

“Cheers, Stanley,” Greg said.

“Thank you,” added John.

Sherlock merely nodded.


End file.
